Since I reviewed Lightwood Games’ first title Word Search by POWGI on Nintendo’s home console, the Wii U, this was my first chance to try out the studios unique blend of paper games moved to digital. I really enjoyed how on the Wii U title that you could play multiplayer for a competitive but relaxing experience. While this title doesn’t have multiplayer it does do enough to make it stand out and feel fresh from Lightwood Games’ initial offering.

The main difference between Epic Word Search Collection and Word Search by POWGI is that the puzzles in the new title are huge and do not fit comfortably on the screen like they do in the first title. How huge do you ask? Think of it this way, take 16 word search puzzles and place them in a big square and that’s just the layout! Each one of these huge puzzles contains over 1,500 hidden words and thankfully you can check your progress on each topic with the quick tap of a button. The puzzles are sectioned off into different colors to help you distinguish where each topic stops and starts. As you find the words they will be removed from the list above the screen. There are 5 of these huge puzzles and the topics range from TV shows, like The Walking Dead or Cheers, to movies like Jurassic Park or Star Wars.

The controls are implemented seamlessly with using your left hand to navigate the puzzle and your right hand has the stylus to point and drag over the words. The only time when the control scheme comes in question is for super long words. You will have to line them up on the screen completely as you can not drag the stylus and scroll the screen simultaneously. I’m glad to see the developer take the extra step and add street pass to the title even if it is to just share your progress. I always appreciate the little extra effort to make use of the systems functionality, no matter how small it may be.

The graphics in the title are second nature. You shouldn’t be expecting an Unreal 4 engine type game when it comes to a paper puzzle game. Instead, having the title be clear and easy to read and little subtle quirks like color coding sections is enough. The soundtrack is just okay. It is nothing annoying but nothing that you will find yourself humming to over and over. It has an overtly face paced paced piano playing that doesn’t really fit into the genre of the game as it makes me feel more on edge then relaxed.

The Recommendation

If you enjoy paper word search games, Lightwood Games has made the transition over to electronic version pretty seamless. I still prefer using the Wii remote and having the ability to play multiplayer over the portability, but each has their own positives and again, comes down to a personal preference. I enjoyed my time with the title and can’t wait to see what the next puzzle game Lightwood has up their sleeves.